The Carruthers emporium

Recently we received some emails from 1969 World 250cc Champion Kel Carruthers, who has been resident in USA for many years. Kel’s father Jack operated motorcycle shops on Victoria Road Gladesville, which has changed somewhat since these photos were taken in the 1940s. “Dad’s first shop was next to a service station on the corner (later Scaysbrook-Harley Honda – ed). The second shop was a few spots up the hill, with a blacksmith’s shop in between the first and second shops. We used to sit and watch horses getting shod. The paddock on the left was where I used to ride my Royal Enfield. Later (about 1955 I guess), dad built a new double-wide shop there, later sold and a service station built in its place. Pity as it was a real nice shop and we had extra workshops underneath. There were two vacant lots between the second and third shops. The second shop had workshops in the back yard and we had to move bikes out into the paddock of a morning. The lathe, drill etc was in the laundry under the kitchen. When we sold the second shop we rebuilt the workshop in the back of our house in Pittwater Road, Gladesville.”